Devices for feeding sample containers with an analysis sample to a treating apparatus for treating the analysis sample, in particular by means of a centrifuge, are already known for a long time. In the known implementation of this device, an input station from which a conveyer in the form of a conveyer belt for the sample containers or carriers, extends to a transfer device for transferring the sample containers to the device. The transfer device picks the sample containers or carriers of the conveyer belt and feeds them to the treating apparatus.
Each sample container or carrier comprises an identification which relates to the analysis sample and the related treatment thereto by means of the treating apparatus. Before the sample containers with an analysis sample or the carriers are fed by means of the transfer device to the treating apparatus, they are detected by a reading unit arranged behind the input station. The reading unit detects the respective identification of the sample containers or carriers by reading out the measures to be carried out therewith or the treatments, respectively. The data are fed to a control unit. Thereafter, the sample container with the respective analysis sample or the carrier with the sample container and the analysis sample contained therein is introduced into the treatment apparatus, for example into a centrifuge. In the treating apparatus, the analysis sample positioned in the sample container is treated, for example centrifuged, according to the method steps specified by the control unit and associated with the sample container and, thereby, to the analysis sample.
Thereafter, the sample container or the carrier with the sample container is again taken off the treating apparatus by the transfer device and transferred to a second conveyer belt. The second conveyer belt conveys the sample containers or carriers to a removal station where the sample containers can be taken off by hand.
A carrier comprises at least one sample container with an analysis sample. However, carriers having several sample containers are usual.
In the known device, the sample containers or the carriers can only be treated by the treating apparatus and conveyed by the two conveyer belts according to the sequence in which they are input into the input station. The sample containers or carriers can also only be removed again at the removal station one after another according to this sequence.
It is disadvantageous in these known devices that the sequence is compulsively determined by the sequence of the input. A treating according to priorities and pooling of sample containers or carriers to be treated in the same way, is not possible in the treating apparatus.
From DE 100 41 230 A1, a device for treating objects, in particular cytological or histological specimens, is known. The disclosed device comprises multiple processing stations and a transport device for delivering the objects into and out of the processing stations, wherein a loading station for loading with objects to be treated or with object carriers carrying the objects to be treated, and a removal station for removing the treated objects or objects carriers carrying the treated objects, are provided. The device is characterized thereby that a definable number of processing stations can be allocated in a fixed or variable fashion to the loading station and/or the removal station.
It is also a further problem with the known device that sample containers with an analysis sample or carriers get into the conveyer circulation, the identification of which has not been read correctly or not read at all and which can, therefore, not be treated, can adversely effect and block the throughput. The throughput of the device as well as of the treating apparatus is substantially adversely affected thereby.